Broom reinforcer



Ma 7, 1940. N; 2200,1121

BROOM REINFORQER Fired J'uiy a, less 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 7 INVENTOR,

ATTORNEY.

Patented May 7, 1940 T UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1 Claim;

My improvements relate to means for reinforcingand protecting brooms,such particularly as are made from the panicles of broom corn, and whichembody an assembly of such panicles in a compact body firmly fastenedtogether and attached to a suitable handle, and having free ends belowthe compact body. The compact body portion of such a broom is usuallyheld together by transverse strands of rather stiff cord on oppositesides of the body stretched or tied to each other through the body; sothat the free ends of the panicles when flexed back-and forth willbendagainst the quite rigid resistance of the cords, and tend to fracture orbeak about. the cord lines. Between and above the transverse cords theouter panicles of the body are unsupported exteriorly, and may bedisplaced or broken, particularly by being pulled outward, to thedetriment of the broom.

Objects of my invention are to provide a yieldable reinforcement for theupper portions of the free ends of the panicles; to yieldably reinforceand protect the body of the broom, with an upwardly increasing tension;to cover the usual wire lashing around the panicles and handle; to usemeans readily attachable'to and detachable from the broom; to. secure aunitary and attractive reinforcer for the broom; and to obtain the otherdesirable results hereinafter pointed out and claimed.

In the drawings Fig. 1 is a side view of my improved reinforcer, onlythe stitching near the edges'being shown, the rest of the article beingsimilarly formed; Fig. 2 is a bottom view; Fig. 3 is a perspective viewof the reinforcer applied to a. broom, and partially broken away forbetter illustration; Fig. 4 is a face detail of the stitches preferablyemployed in the lower portion of the reinforcer; Fig. 5 is an edge view;Fig. 6 is a view of the stitching in the upper portion of the reinforcer; Figs. 4, 5 and 6 are on a much enlarged scale; and Fig. 7 is asectional view on the line 1--1 of Fig. 1, showing the seam on theshoulder of the reinforcer.

Similar reference numerals designate similar parts in all the figures.

Thereinforcer is formed of knitted fabric, pref-- erably embodyingseries of looped stitches formed for instance from threads, some ofwhich are interlooped only on one side, for instance the face of thefabric as in Figs. 4 and 6; while others are interlooped on both sidesas indicated in Fig. .5. Between tworows of stitches interlooped on bothfaces of the fabric, I preferably insert reinforcing threads of sheathedrubber, 6, 6, which are not bent into loops, but simply laid straight,so that stretching of the reinforcer laterally puts the rubber underpositive tension. The rows of looped stitches run upward vertically, innearly parallel lines, for a distance, for instance about .ptasty finisharound the lower one third, of the length of the reinforcer; from whichpoint they draw together, progressively, curving in to points which maybe called. the

shoulders, which slope toward each other quite.

abruptly, and are connected by aneck band 8 which is preferablyoverwhipped ,or otherwise stiffened.

When this reinforcer is drawn down over the broom, with the handle l0passing .up through the neck 8, the reinforcer will fit snugly aroundthe handle, the wire lashing, andth e shoulder t and body of the broomand its lower edge'will extend down below the stiff transverse cords, so

as to constitute a yieldable reinforcement around- I broom in theportions where they are drawn together in'the compacted body of thebroom.'

This is particularly valuable on what may be called the shoulders of thebroom body which are liable to contact with hard objects in the ordinaryuse of the broom.

It will be seen, also, that where the upper part of the reinforcer drawsaround the wire'lashing and thelower endof the broom it notonly-prevents contact between the metal lashing and objecs of furnitureand the like when thebroom is being used, but that it also forms a neatand handle.

I wish it to be understood that the form of embodiment of myimprovements which I have,

illustrated and described is to be considered as typical and not as anexclusive embodiment, for

end of the broom parting from the spirit of my invention or the scope ofmy claim. I

claim and desire to secure the United States is:

A reinforcer for brooms embodying a unitary knit body having continuousand contiguous lines of looped stitches progressively approachin eachother substantially from the bottom to the top of the reinforcerthuscreating a stiffened and. restricted neck'opening formed of thetextile materlal of the body.

LOUIS A. OLENA.

